U.S. TROOPS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAITI ON SCHEDULE. THEY LEAVE A LAND AS DESPERATE AS THEY FOUND IT

WHEN THE POST--COLD WAR book of rules for global intervention is written, the lesson of the Haiti chapter will be this: define your goals so minimally that it will be easy to meet them, declare victory and go home.

Back in September 1994, when Bill Clinton itemized his intentions for Haiti, he kept them basic, so now he can tick off the accomplishments. The main goal of Operation Uphold Democracy was to restore the legitimate Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to power and in so doing halt the flood of boat people. With 20,000 U.S. troops and a little help from Jimmy...